All Those Years Ago
by Calico0128
Summary: Completed- CHAPTER 11 - Six years ago, lives were shattered by an unspeakable crime. Now fate brings best friends back together but it's up to Tommy to keep it that way.
1. Could it Really Be?

A/N Okay, okay, for those of you who are ready to kill me for not finishing my other stories before starting another… SORRY. I promise that I will work on those other ones too….

Just a little side note: Who exactly came up with these nazi regulations for postings? I think it all comes down to personal choice. If you choose to be viewed as ignorant and force people away from your story with pathetic spelling and abominable punctuation, then who is anybody else to stop you from losing your own readers? Also, I think author's notes in the form of chapters, while annoying when they are abused, can actually be a courtesy to the readers. Sorry, just a little rant. (now this is probably longer than my story)

This chapter's just a short intro to whet your appetite for the rest. :) On with the show!!

* * *

Tommy was staring with dismay as the prices rolled up on the gas meter when Dil leaned across the front seat and tugged his sleeve through the open window. He turned, still rather depressed as he imagined the new balance on his bank account.

"What?" He asked, somewhat moodily.

"Check out that guy over on pump four." Dil said and Tommy smirked.

"You batting for the other team now?" He teased the seventeen year old who only rolled his eyes. He grinned and glanced over. The man was leaning against a beat up Civic (the car probably older than its driver)in much the fashion that he was, arms crossed and practically glowering at the meter, and except for his spiked, dyed black hair with blue streaks, there was nothing truly noteworthy about him and he looked back at Dil questioningly.

"He doesn't remind you of someone?" Dil asked insistently. Tommy turned back, squinting at the man this time. He was now taking the pump from the gas tank and replacing the gas cap and Tommy was able to get a clear look at his face. He stared a few more seconds and then the man glanced up. By chance, they caught each other's gaze and his heart simultaneously jumped to his throat and dropped to his stomach. He felt goose bumps crawl up his arms and a strange chill raced up his spine.

"Chuckie?" he managed, barely over a whisper and the other man turned abruptly, breaking eye contact and practically running to his car door. Tommy simply stared, eyes wide as he watched his old best friend peel out of the gas station.

"Tommy?" Dil's voice broke into his semi-trance and he turned back to his brother, struggling to regain focus, "The gas is done."

"Yeah, yeah okay." He topped off the tank and pulled the receipt from the machine. He glanced one more time at the spot where he'd seen his best friend for the first time in six years. He sighed and slid back into his seat where Dil watched him expectantly.

"Let's get you to class." He said.

"Damn, I hoped you'd forgotten." Dil said, half-jokingly, and then, "So… was it him?"

"Cant've been."

"You'd know better than me." Dil said, although he seemed unconvinced.

He dropped Dil off at school and drove back home, still thinking about the encounter. He was nearly certain that it was Chuckie, but the more he thought about it, the more he doubted it. Chuckie, with dyed hair? Dyed black and blue hair? Spiked? In what universe would that happen? Besides, he hadn't been wearing glasses. Plus, he was too tall and there was no way he'd be back in town. And then he was halted by images of the mans green eyes, the freckles on his face and he glared at the wall in front of him out of frustration.

Stu walked in while he was sitting in the living room, digging through a box of photos from years before, pulling out ones that Chuckie was in. He had just found one that had Kimi and Chuckie, ages 12 and 13. Right before… It. Stu paused as he took in the scene. Two photo albums and three shoe boxes full of pictures from their tween years.

"It's uh…. almost the anniversary, isn't it?" his dad asked and Tommy looked over at him.

"Yeah, I guess it is." He said, and then a realization came over him and he jumped up, a lap full of photos sliding off him onto the floor, "I've gotta be somewhere." He grabbed his jacket and headed toward the door.

"Work?" Stu asked.

"Can you pick Dil up from school? I'm not sure I'll be back in time." He said.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Are you headed to work?" Stu persisted and Tommy thoughts were too whirlwind to pay much attention to anything else.

"Don't forget, otherwise he'll be mad at me."

"I wont." Stu said, rather affronted.

"Never mind, I'll just call and remind you." He started opening the door to leave but Stu's voice followed him.

"Tommy, are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be back when I can, see you later!" He waved at his dad as he left and was in the car and on the freeway before he realized that he still had the photo crumpled in his hand.

* * *

Kind of short, I know, much more to come.


	2. Remembering What's Broken

Okay, so now that your appetites have been "whetted" Here is chapter two. I may have taken some liberties in terms of… stuff, so if you have any complaints about anything, I'll be happy hear them…. Or read them, really.

Also, as I was typing up the story, I realized I totally did it all wrong, so I am kind of rewriting it as I go along. It's better that way, for all of us. :)

Here you are. I present chapter two!!

ENJOY.

* * *

He drove the hour it took to get to the cemetery relatively without thought. Occasionally, he would slow as if to turn back around or mutter to himself about how stupid he was to be driving all the way out to the cemetery for no reason beyond a glimpse of somebody that may or may not have been a friend of his from six years ago. Despite all this, he would just give a little sigh and continue onward.

When he reached the cemetery, he climbed out of the car and was hit by a gust of late fall wind. He pulled his jacket tighter around his body and made the walk to the headstone. He found himself momentarily taken back to those many years ago.

_"And now, we lay to rest our beloved daughter, sister and friend. Kimi Finster, whose bright life was cut short in a moment of true cruelty and hate. We pray that she will be forever happy and we recite these words knowing that God has done his will._

_In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our daughter Kimi and we commit her body to the ground; earth to earth; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless her and keep her, the Lord make his face to shine upon her and be gracious unto her and give her peace. Amen_._" _

The preachers voice rang in his ears as he crouched next to the headstone, sliding his fingers over the engraving. The granite plate naming the place where one of his dearest friends now lay forever and he felt tears stinging in his eyes.

He hadn't realized it was almost the anniversary. It wasn't like he could have forgotten. No one could. Especially after what had happened to Chuckie and Chaz afterward. After six years of waiting and wondering though, the mind eventually moves on. Almost six years ago all of their lives had changed forever. More than anything he remembered the news reports, the headlines, the phone calls and interviews. It wasn't even that sensational of a story. It was only because it was a small town still, that it was such big news.

"_Meth Head Murders 3 in Random Attack,"_ For some reason, that was the most memorable headline to him because it said everything in so few words. It had been a drug addict, high on a concoction of drugs; PCP, crack-cocaine, and various other amphetamines. He had been imagining only god knew what; government experiments, alien invasions, or whatever, and somehow he had found the Java Lava. It had been deemed necessary for his purposes and he had pulled out an Uzi semi-automatic and taken all of the patrons and employees hostage. It had turned out to be three customers, two from out of town and another regular. The only employee at the time had been Kimi. Tommy and Chuckie had had plans that night to go watch the latest adventure movie. Chaz had run down the street for an emergency pick up of Styrofoam cups. The twins and their parents had been out of town visiting relatives.

Within minutes the situation had escalated. The lone survivor, one of the out of towners, said that Kimi had done her best to put everybody at ease but the regular had started yelling and agitated the coked out man who opened fire on everyone inside. The only reason that the one person had survived was because Kimi had started spraying boiling water at the man from a floor hose. Outside, a passerby had noticed the situation and called the police. They arrived just as the man opened fire. It had all happened within a span of ten minutes, not like the movies where hostage situations lasted for hours and people were rescued. His final victim had been Kimi. She was twelve years old.

They'd had no peace since the names had been leaked to the press. Because she was a minor, her name never should've been put in the papers. When they were printed, the reporters were all over the friends and family of the local "Martyr" as they came to refer to her. While the phone calls and house visits were bad for the both of the Pickle's families and the Devilles, it was three times as worse for the grieving Finster's. Chuckie spent those first nights at Tommy's house to simply escape the telephone calls. They didn't really stop until after the funeral.

Tommy sighed and sat back on his heels. If he was right, then Chuckie would be showing up any minute now, or he had already shown up. Either way, he wasn't ready to let his friend get away so easy this time. He stood and made his way to the cedar tree, about ten plots away from Kimi's. He slid down against the tree, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, using the collar to protect his cheeks and ears from the chilling wind.

The cemetery remained fairly quiet for the first hour, although he did manage to frighten a young mother and her daughter as they passed by. He tried to apologize but she practically dragged her daughter on the ground as she sprinted away. And he waited some more. As his fingertips began to ache with the cold and his nose threatened to turn blue, he wondered if he should've stopped for coffee and something to eat, and then, he briefly fantasized about a steaming cappuccino and a cheeseburger. He told himself what a stupid idea this was. Even if that weirdo had been Chuckie, what made him think that he would show up here? Today? Hell, he'd probably already been and the gas he was putting in his car was to get the hell out of dodge just like before.

He frowned at himself. That was uncalled for. Chuckie had had no say in the matter when his dad moved them both out of the state. He'd only been thirteen at the time, and even Keira's words had meant nothing, nor those of Tommy's parents or any of the others. For the kids, there had been no good byes, no one had known of Chaz's plans to leave town after Kimi's death and Keira's subsequent separation. Those weeks after everything was such a mass of confusion and heart ache that it had been difficult for anyone to process much. It felt, at least to Tommy, that Chuckie had been stolen from them just as Kimi had been.

He hated to admit, even to himself, that Chuckie's leaving might have impacted him even more than Kimi's death, but he knew it wasn't quite true. Perhaps it was just harder having lost somebody and knowing that they were still out there, just out of reach. He sighed, this was such a lame idea. He wiggled his toes to make sure they were still there and pulled out his cell phone to check the time. It was 12:40, he'd have to call his dad in a bit to make sure that Dil was not stranded at school. His dad would be irritated at the reminder but he would forget otherwise, he'd already left Dil without a ride twice and the school year had just started.

He gave another heavy sigh. This was a pointless effort and he was freezing his ass off for no reason. He stood to leave and he glanced over at the grave one last time. His jaw dropped. Chuckie stood by the grave, black and blue hair flying every which way in the wind, his heavy leather jacket protecting him from the cold. Tommy walked quietly, slowly up behind him, unnoticed and silent. He observed his friend for several moments, doing his best to quell the wave of emotion that threatened to overtake him. He wondered briefly how people were supposed to behave in this kind of situation and he couldn't come up with anything. Finally, he figured it would be better to announce his presence, rather than wait for his friend to discover him.

"I kinda figured you'd come here." He said quietly and Chuckie jumped, turning around, eyes wide as they saw him, and then left and right beyond him. Looking for an escape, Tommy mused.

His older friend started to walk off and Tommy grabbed his arm, only to have it jerked away and Chuckie glared at him before his face became a scary blank, neutral.

"Chuckie?" Tommy said, confused, asking everything in that single word. His friend shoved his hands into his pockets and looked up at the gray sky and Tommy somehow knew it was to avoid eye contact, "I uh, I almost didn't recognize you… I saw you at the gas station-"

"Yeah I know." Chuckie interrupted, and his voice had grown and deepened and it was not the nasally, congested one that he remembered. It was hoarse as though he had not spoken in a while.

"Then uh…. Why did you run away?" He asked. He had been expecting some form of denial at least, not this open admission and Chuckie offered no excuse, no reason. Tommy wondered whether he should press the matter. They stood in silence for several more moments. Chuckie's eyes still glued to the sky and Tommy looking at his friend for something that he could not name. Finally, he decided to change the topic.

"It's almost the anniversary." Tommy said and Chuckie visibly winced.

"Four days." He said, looking back the headstone, "Four days." And something in his voice made Tommy think that he needed to tread lightly.

"So, what, uh, is your dad in town too?" he asked and Chuckie fixed him with a strange look, his face still oddly blank.

"No."

"So… where's he-"

"I don't know."

"Oh." They were both silent. Tommy struggling to fight for the right words.

"I have things to do." Chuckie started off again and Tommy followed, right on his heels.

"Great, I'll come along." Chuckie stopped and stared at him. His emotionless face was beginning to frighten him more than anything else could have.

"I'd rather-"

"Chuckie, why'd you run away from me earlier?" he asked and his friend sighed and dropped his head to stare at the ground and Tommy followed his gaze to watch the fallen leaves swirl about their feet on the concrete path.

"I don't know. I was startled. I didn't expect to see you."

"And now, why're you trying to run away?"

"I…. I really need to get some errands taken care of." And his voice had taken on an almost, feeble quality.

"Chuckie…" they both stood in silence again. An older couple passed by and Tommy gave them a polite smile and they nodded and smiled back. He turned back to Chuckie and fought off the sudden urge to shake his friend from frustration.

"Where've you been these last six years?" he said and a small flicker of pain crossed his face and Tommy was glad for it. He had begun to be irritated by the neutral stare, "I've looked for you. I've done tons of searching. You never came up anywhere."

"Yeah, I wouldn't think so." Chuckie said and Tommy quirked an eyebrow.

"Why?" Chuckie looked away. Tommy saw several unidentifiable emotions cross his face and he held his breath, certain his friend was going to open up.

"I'm not ready to talk about it." Chuckie finally said in a rather firm tone. He let out his breath in a silent sigh and then glanced back at the headstone.

"Let's go get some coffee." He finally said. Chuckie didn't speak for a long moment and then he nodded.

"Yeah, okay." And Tommy did his best not to show how happy he was for this small victory.


	3. Talk to Me

Sorry for the long wait

Sorry for the long wait. Really, I don't know why people bother with me anymore. If _I _had to wait this long for an update, I'd be like , screw it!, and head off to something less. But yeah, life got the better of me, as it often does. (Two more terms of college before I transfer to bigger and better things!)

Here you are.

ENJOY.

Tommy offered to drive them both, afraid to let Chuckie get in his own car, in case he changed his mind and took off. They were silent the entire drive. Tommy set the radio to a Top Hits station and that and the engine were the only sounds in the car for the fifteen minute drive. Tommy had seen a small diner just before the cemetery and drove there. Chuckie sat almost on the edge of his seat, practically glued to the door, as if afraid to get too close to him.

The outside of the diner left something to be desired. Built maybe twenty years ago, with wood that looked as though it were rotting from the inside out and permanently stained windows. He hoped, at least, that the coffee was decent. The inside was just as frightening. The booths were the bright red of the 1950's soda shoppe, as though they were trying to be "classic," instead of just ancient. A jukebox even sat in the corner, unplayed. He grinned at the attempted nostalgia and slid a glance to his friend, before catching himself. Chuckie's blank expression had not faltered. Tommy frowned despite himself and turned away. A waitress waved at them to take a seat, and they slid into a booth by the window.

The waitress took their order quickly; two coffees, a BLT for Chuckie and cheeseburger for Tommy. They didn't speak for a long while and avoided each others gaze like the plague. When they did make eye contact, it was as though they'd been shocked and glanced away as quickly as possible. Tommy took the time to look his friend over more carefully. Chuckie had heavy bags under his eyes, as if he had not had a good nights sleep in a long while. He was fairly thin and his skin seemed rather stretched, as though he had not been fed properly during his last growth spurt. He played nervously with a napkin, tearing and twirling it between his fingers. They didn't speak until the coffee had been placed in front of them. Tommy took several long gulps after adding his cream and sugar.

"So…" He said, trailing off into a slow silence, "Uh, contacts, eh?" He managed weakly. Chuckie brought a hand to his face, as though remembering he didn't have glasses on.

"Yeah."

"Why no glasses?"

"Dad kept breaking'm." Chuckie deadpanned. Tommy looked at him, confused.

"Chaz… did what?" He asked, but the waitress came and set their plates down in front of them. Chuckie used the time to drink his coffee. Tommy stared at him, waiting for an explanation but he gave none and instead bit into his sandwich, still avoiding Tommy's gaze.

"Chuckie, what are you talking about? What do you mean? What happened?" Tommy persisted. Chuckie turned his gaze out the window and they sat like that for several long moments. Tommy, watching his friend in concern and confusion, and Chuckie avoiding it all. Finally, he turned and there was something in his eyes that made Tommy falter and there was a quiet desperation in his voice when he spoke.

"I'm not ready to talk about anything. When I am, believe me Tommy, I'll be talking to you. A lot happened in those six years. For now, just leave it alone okay? Just leave it alone."

Tommy resisted the urge to question him anymore, or simply give him a reassuring hug or comment, knowing it would go over as well as a lead balloon. Instead he took a couple of minutes to take bites from his cheeseburger. It tasted better than he would have thought, but found he no longer had much of an appetite. He took another drink of his coffee, grimacing because it had cooled down. As if on cue, the waitress came and poured some more into their mugs.

"So, how is everyone?" Chuckie asked.

"Oh, uh, Angelica and Susie are over at Harvard together. They're both going to be lawyers, Susie wants to be judge later on. Lil's pursuing a degree in criminal psychology. Phil's started training at the police academy. I'm taking a year off from school, not sure what I want to do yet. Dil will be graduating early, after this semester." Tommy said. Chuckie nodded as he spoke.

"All stuff to do with the justice system, huh?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, I guess. Never thought about it before." Tommy said, and then added in musing, "I guess stuff that happens to us as kids, really does direct our lives some how."

"Hm." Chuckie took another long drink from his coffee.

"All the parents are doing pretty good, I guess. Um, Keira's been-" Chuckie slammed his coffee cup down, causing some of the coffee to spill onto the table and Tommy jumped in surprise. Chuckie fixed Tommy with something close to a rabid gleam in his eyes.

"I don't care." He said simply. Tommy nodded slowly, unsure of what to say or do. Chuckie continued to stare at him for several long moments before finally looking out the window again. Tommy turned his gaze back to his food and again had to fight off the urge to question the other man.

"So, uh, what are your plans?" He finally risked asking, afraid that anything might set his friend off again.

"I don't know." Chuckie said quietly, "I hadn't thought past getting here and visiting the grave."

"And then taking off again right?" Tommy asked, a hint of irritation in his voice even as he fought to keep calm, "Without even letting anybody know you were alive?" Chuckie seemed to regard him with a dispassionate expression before letting out a sigh.

"Tommy…" He trailed off before starting again, "Tommy… understand me please, you've all gotten on with your lives. You've moved on… I mean, I literally had no idea whether you guys would even remember me. I just figured it would be better for everyone if I didn't put everyone, or myself, through all that." Tommy was silent as he thought it over and kept from exploding at his friend. They'd grown up together. All of them. How could Chuckie doubt whether he would be remembered. What had happened to Chuckie over the years?

"We all missed you Chuckie. Everyone. We've never stopped thinking about you. I mean, we were upset that you never called or-" Chuckie barked out a laugh, as if unable to stop himself.

"As if I could've called." He mumbled this as if it was not meant for Tommy's ears and then spoke more loudly, "Where exactly do you think I've been? What do you think I've been doing?"

"I don't know. They said you and Chaz had moved in with your grandparents." Tommy said, eyebrows furrowed, feeling like he was missing out on a big piece of the puzzle. Chuckie simply laughed again, dry and utterly humorless. Tommy frowned, disliking the laugh as much as the emotionless expression that Chuckie assumed.

"Why? What don't I know?" He persisted and his friend leaned forward on the table and took a sip of his coffee, before making a face.

"It's cold." Chuckie said, setting it down. For some reason this reminded Tommy of the time and he muttered a few choice words as he pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket. He'd completely forgotten about Dil. It was 2:50, he should've been picked up 10 minutes ago.

"I'm going to run outside and make a call okay?" He said, Chuckie nodded and waved him off. Tommy left and stood under the awning to call his dad. It went for half a ring before it was picked up.

"Geez, Dil, I already said I was on my way!" His father said immediately, sounding harried and exasperated.

"Uh, Dad?" Tommy said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, Tommy, hey! Hey, what's up?" Stu sounded embarrassed even over the phone.

"Oh don't even try to play that one off!" Tommy laughed.

"Fine, but I'm on my way out the door, okay?"

"Yeah, alright, talk to you later."

"Bye." They hung up and Tommy paused a moment before going inside. The sky had darkened even more and the wind had picked up. It looked as if it were going to rain. He walked back inside and froze as he glanced at their table. Chuckie had disappeared. He felt a strange surge of panic and started looking around the diner. The only public entrance was the one he'd been standing in front of, but certainly there was a door in the kitchen for garbage in the back. He started walking that way until he realized that there was another perfectly reasonable explanation and he started, more calmly, toward the restroom. Chuckie was currently standing in front of the mirror, his back to the door. Both hands rested on the sink, which he was leaning against, breathing hard as if he'd just run a great distance.

"You alright?" Tommy asked coming forward.

"Yeah." Chuckie said not moving. They stood there for a few moments and then Tommy asked quietly.

"Your hair?" Chuckie brought his eyes up to his reflection and laugh quietly.

"I had it done a couple of days ago. I didn't want to be… so recognizable. The girl that did it said that it had be a darker color than my hair or it could be bleached, so I just asked for black. She asked if she could dye some of it blue, so I let her." Chuckie explained, "It's still a shock to see myself in the mirror."

"C'mon lets go sit back down." Tommy said holding the door open and waiting for Chuckie to pass by. When they got back to the table, they found their coffees refilled, a check on the table, and the waitress hovering nearby, looking all too relieved to see them, probably assuming that they had done a dine'n'dash. She smiled when he caught her eye and went on back to the kitchen.

"Chuckie. Come stay with us." Tommy said as soon as they'd sat down, "You said yourself you didn't really have any plans. Everyone will be ecstatic to see you. It'll be great, I promise." His friend was quiet for a long time and then finally met his eyes.

"I'm not ready for that, for everyone." He said.

"Okay." Tommy thought quickly, "Then, we can get some rooms tonight, we'll stay there, until you are ready." Chuckie opened to his mouth to speak but Tommy cut him off.

"I have the money, it'll be great, we can order pizza, have a guys night, or something." Tommy held his breath waiting, even crossing his fingers under the table.

"Yeah."

"But it'll be great, plea- wait, what'd you say?"

"Yeah." And Chuckie smiled, something sincere and real and it took Tommy a moment to recognize the expression.

"Great. Awesome." He said, unable to think of anything else. Finally, he took his debit card from his pocket and set it on the check. They sat like for a while, as if not needing to say anything more.

Okay, so I've been working on this one for a while, but every time I started typing, something happened and I had to go some where, plus both my laptop and my desktop are on the fritz and I'm doing some work on them, but until it's fixed, I'm back to using my Gma's computer. And then was giving me issues, not letting me login and bah. But here you go.


	4. All That You've Spoken

Hello everyo- Augh!! /ducks from the hurled rotten vegetables/ I'm sorry! I don't know even know what happened, so I wont bother you with my list of excuses... which are 1) I moved two states, 2) I was finishing up my final semester at my CC 3) applying to my university 4) adjusting to life with my family (ugh) 5) and job hunting... but you guys don't need the excuses... Anywho, with further ado, chapter 4! I hope it's enough to make up for my lack of updates, though I'm not holding my breath.

Also, I would like to use this moment to thank everyone who has taken the time to not only read my story 'Coming Home,' but provide me with a review. They've all been really touching, (and honestly, are the reason I finally got back to 'All Those Years Ago.') and/or hilarious. I appreciate that so many people took the time do that. I LOVE YOU ALL!! /wipes tear on napkin/

Warning: I am posting without going back and rereading it (as I like to do) so if you spot any blatant mistakes, just let me know!

* * *

The drive to retrieve Chuckie's car was a silent one. Both boys were too lost in their own thoughts to truly mind. Tommy was thinking about what he'd tell his parents, and calling in to work the next day, and of course, the greatest problem of all which sat next to him, staring hard out the passenger window. A desperate look in his eyes screamed for attention. Tommy noticed Chuckie's hand, clenched in a white fist on his thigh; his other hand drummed a beat on the armrest.

"Doing okay there, Bud?" he finally asked and Chuckie turned in silence and gave a sharp nod before returning his gaze to the passing scenery, "Any idea what movie you want to rent?" Chuckie gave a noncommittal grunt. They were silent again, Chuckie's fingers vying with the songs on the radio until finally they were back at the cemetery.

Tommy almost stopped Chuckie as he exited the car, fearing that if Chuckie left his side, he would disappear into whatever alternate dimension had swallowed him before. He caught himself though, knowing that it was not the universe that had claimed him and the only thing he needed to worry about was Chuckie bolting. Indeed, he spent more than half the drive staring into his rearview mirror, certain that his friend would turn a corner and disappear. Only after he narrowly avoided rear-ending the same car twice, did he force his gaze to the road in front of him, though he couldn't resist glancing behind him several times.

Once checked into the hotel, they went on a snack run and Tommy managed to coax a single, reluctant smile from his friend at the store and the tiny victory left him elated. Back at the hotel, he briefly debated over a comedy and a zombie movie. He slid a glance to his friend, who sat on the bed staring out the window, expressionless, and he decided on the comedy, afraid to see any more deadened faces than he had to.

Twenty minutes into the film, he remembered the calls he had to make and excused himself to the hall to do so. He called work first, talking low and giving an academy award-winning coughing fit. His parents would be more difficult and in the end, he chose the cowards way out and called Dil's cell phone.

It rang once before it was picked up, Tommy made out the sound of his brother's video game, obnoxiously loud, "Sup T?" Dil said.

"Not much."

"Dad says you went a little cuckoo this morning. Ran off in a hurry and disappeared."

"Yeah?" Tommy grinned, slightly annoyed but ignoring it.

"So what's gotten you all off your rocker?" his brother asked and the noise in the background suddenly ceased and when Dil spoke again, it was in a hushed tone, "Was it him, T?"

"I called 'cause I need you to do me a favor and cover for me with the 'rents."

"C'mon! It _was _him, wasn't it? Man, I'm so awesome, I amaze myself sometimes." Tommy could hear the grin in Dil's voice.

"So will you?"

"Of course, bro! When you coming home though?" he asked.

"Hopefully, tomorrow."

"See ya then." He walked back into the room feeling accomplished until he caught sight of Chuckie curled up on his bed, facing the wall. Tommy hesitated and then went and sat beside him. Although, their movie was still playing, it was muted under the deafening silence that encompassed them and Tommy fought to break through it.

"It… it might help to talk about it, you know?" he finally managed. Chuckie snorted softly, but said nothing. Tommy raised a hand to place on Chuckie's shoulder, but changed his mind at the last moment and brought it to rest next to him. He tried once more.

"What did you mean earlier? When you asked what I thought you'd been doing?" Chuckie was silent again and Tommy almost became irritated and then,

"You haven't changed at all." Chuckie said turning over, "Always the hero, huh? You don't ever give up, do you?"

"Not when it's someone I care about."

"It's been six years… you don't even know me anymore." Chuckie shifted his gaze to the ceiling.

"Then fill me in." Tommy persisted, " I want to know." And again he had to quell that familiar desire to reach out and touch his friend, a reaction that came so naturally to him. Chuckie rubbed his face with both of his hands.

"I wasn't at my grandparents these last six years." He said suddenly, and Tommy waited patiently for him to continue. He'd already guessed that much from their conversation in the diner. Silence again took hold and Tommy prodded his friend.

"Then where have you been?'

"Nowhere… everywhere," a deep sigh, "Looking back, I think that's where he was headed originally. That's where I thought we were going anyway. To my grandparents. It was just crazy in those days… don't think it ever stopped… but, what I'm trying to say is, we really weren't anywhere. Dad drove us to a motel. We stayed there for a night. The next day we started driving again. And then another motel that night. More driving the next morning… it wasn't until the second week, when I asked him if we'd be back in time for the science fair, did I realize we weren't coming back." Chuckie glanced over at him and Tommy attempted to keep his face neutral, not wanting to deter Chuckie from speaking.

"That first year we spent Thanksgiving in Tombstone, Arizona. Christmas was in a dinky town in Montana, I think. That's how it went for six years. We've been hopping from town to town, state to state."

"But why?" Tommy burst out and Chuckie jumped, as if he'd forgotten he was there. Chuckie studied him again and shook his head.

"I don't know. I always got the feeling that he was running away from something. In those early days…he barely spoke to me. Always panicked and irritable. He'd talk himself, mumble to himself. For two weeks I was afraid to speak to him, to be near him. I was terrified, to be honest. When I finally realized that we weren't coming home and we weren't going to Grandma and Grandpa's, I worked up the courage to ask him where we were going, and he told me that Kira had divorced him and there wasn't anything left for us there, just bad memories and we needed to start over.

"We never stayed in one place too long. That first year… we were lucky to be in one area for a week. Then, maybe a month… when he was having good days. We started camping out in the woods, the desert, wherever… I think maybe because he started running out of money, or maybe whatever he thought was chasing us was catching up."

"What about school?" Tommy couldn't help asking.

"It was about two years later… I tried to enroll at one of the schools but I'd only gone for three weeks before he freaked out and made us leave again. I tried a few more times, but that was when he started avoiding towns completely. I finally gave up on trying to attend school, and I started stealing books from the library and studied those. It was the best I could do, really…"

"Oh Chuckie…"

"I tried to call you guys… but your number had been disconnected." Chuckie's voice cracked and the sound ripped Tommy's heart in two. Finally he decided to hell with it, and pulled Chuckie into a hug. The effect was immediate. Chuckie began to sob, hard gut wrenching sobs that shook both of them and the bed they sat on. Tommy held him patiently, going over all that he'd been told while Chuckie cried into his shoulder with what seemed to be six years of pent up grief.

His thoughts were everywhere, to all the places that Chuckie had been, to what had been going through Chaz's disturbed mind, to no wonder his friend looked sick, had he been fed properly at all? And when was the last time he'd gone to the doctor? To how long it would take Chuckie to catch back up in school.

But it all kept coming back to one question: How could this have happened?

Eventually, Tommy came to realize that Chuckie had fallen asleep in his arms, no doubt exhausted from his emotional release. He managed to lay his friend down and maneuver him beneath the blankets without waking him. Before he climbed into his own bed, he gave Chuckie's hand a gentle squeeze. Tommy spent the next hour staring at the ceiling, unable to quiet his mind, until finally he turned on his side and watched the rise and fall of his best friends chest. He was asleep within minutes.

* * *

I hope it was good enough for you guys!! Review if you'd like! :)


	5. Now We Begin to See

Hello everyone! I missed you so!!! In fact, I missed you so much that I wrote this chapter extra long to prove it! (Okay, extra long for me, anyway). But now that schools finally started up for me, I can practically guarantee more output from me! Procrastination does work wonders, lol.

I wont be a chatterbox today. Enjoy!!!!

* * *

The next morning Tommy woke to the sunlight blinding him through his eyelids. He grunted and turned over, only to suddenly remember the events of the previous night. He jerked up and looked over at the other bed, fighting the sunlight to keep his eyes open, even as they watered. He finally blinked when he saw Chuckie's dyed hair and fell back onto his bed with his heart thudding.

They'd both made it through the night. Now he just had to figure out how to convince Chuckie to go back home with him. A groan nearly passed his lips when he thought about it. Instead he sighed. It was best not to dwell on it until he had to.

After glancing over at Chuckie's sleeping form, he stood and went to wash his face and use the restroom. He walked out and was patting his face with a hand towel when a loud 'beep' made him jump. Frowning at himself for being so skittish, he dug in his pocket and removed his cell phone. His frown deepened when he saw he had three missed calls and a text message. Two missed calls were from his moms phone. One from Dils', as was the text message which simply read: "rents r freakin, dad calld 2 chck stry, sry bro."

He barely fought the urge to roll his eyes and silently debated with himself. The last thing he wanted to do was call his mom and get caught up in a long tirade about how worried she'd been and how would he feel if she found him dead in a dumpster, which was a favorite whenever she got paranoid about him and Dil. But he knew he couldn't let them worry so he sent Dil a text message saying he was fine and that he'd be back later that day. He followed up with another, telling Dil to show it their parents. Then, deciding he didn't want to field calls all day, he turned it off.

Chuckie was still sound asleep so he took the opportunity to grab breakfast for the both of them. He returned within minutes bearing a plate of stale blueberry muffins, lukewarm coffee, and some bruised fruit, which the hotel had so generously provided. He downed his coffee in one go and started on a muffin before reclining on his bed.

Now, to figure out what he needed to do about Chuckie. His goal, of course, was just to take him home. After that, his parents would definitely take over and get everything straightened out. Maybe figure out what his friends' next steps would be, especially regarding school. And then there was the whole issue of Chuckie's dad. Where _was _Chaz? Considering Chuckie's description of his behavior, he wouldn't have just let Chuckie out of his sight. Tommy made a mental note to ask him about that later.

Movement from his friend's bed caught his attention and he glanced over. Chuckie was turning away from the window, stretching as he did so. He opened his eyes, bleary with sleep, and scanned the room briefly before landing on Tommy, who gave a small smile. Chuckie watched him with an unreadable expression before he mumbled, "Do I smell coffee?"

Tommy handed him the Styrofoam cup and waited patiently for Chuckie to sit up and take it. After he tested the temperature with a sip, he downed it just as Tommy had. Once the coffee was gone, he climbed out of bed and shuffled to bathroom. He walked back out a couple of minutes later, patting his face with a hand towel and looking far more conscious. The plate of food caught his eye and he grabbed an apple before returning to his bed.

"How long you been awake?" Chuckie asked.

"I don't know, ten minutes?" Tommy said, though he was sure it was closer to half an hour at least. The room was quiet and Tommy felt suddenly awkward, though he wasn't sure why. Chuckie gave a heavy sigh and looked over at Tommy.

"So, what's the plan?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Tommy quirked his head at the question, and the tired tone that accompanied it.

"You planning to haul me off to your parents house, or what?" Chuckie dropped his gaze as he said it and Tommy thought he heard something beneath the annoyance. But perhaps he imagined the hidden plea.

"I was hoping to do less 'hauling,' more inviting." He said after a moment and bit back a grin when Chuckie lifted his gaze, "Will you come with me?" They were silent again and Tommy listened to the gears cranking in his friend's head as Chuckie thought, although he was confident that Chuckie would go with him. What could possibly keep him from saying no? Then again… what could have possibly made him runaway at the gas station? Obviously, there were still some things to work out, but Chuckie _did_ want to go with him. He wanted a normal life; Tommy could feel the desire for it emanating off of him. But there was something that was making him hesitate, as he'd hesitated before and Tommy wanted to know what it was. He was just afraid to push too hard and too fast and lose whatever teeny bit of progress they may have made.

"I will…" Chuckie said and Tommy almost grinned again but his friend continued, "I can't stay for long, though." Tommy had to fight the urge to argue, knowing it would do little good. Besides, he could always argue later, (or just let his parents do it).

"Of course!" He finally said and Chuckie nodded, though he seemed to be nodding to some internal commentary rather than anything Tommy had said. But Tommy didn't care. Chuckie had agreed and that was all he could hope for.

Chuckie insisted on taking a shower before they left and Tommy took the opportunity to text Dil that he would be returning soon. Barely ten seconds had passed since he hit the 'send' button on his phone, before it was ringing in his palm. It was Dil's cell phone but he wouldn't put it past his parents to have confiscated the phone by now. He answered rather hesitantly and before the word, "Hello," had fully passed his lips, his mother's shrill voice cut across him and he jerked the phone away from his ear.

"Tommy Pickles! You get home right this instant!" She shrieked and he rolled his eyes, not wanting to argue with her about how he was over 18 and working, and if he wanted to stay out, it shouldn't be problem. Besides, he knew better than to start her down that particular road.

"I'll be home soon, Ma." He promised.

"Do you have any idea how worried your father and I have been!? What if you'd been kidnapped and killed and thrown into a dumpster!? How would you feel if I had to be called down to identify your dead, rotting corpse!?" Didi continued, irate. Tommy had to pull the phone from his ear and stifle a laugh. His mother could be so predictable.

"I'm sorry, I'll be home soon." He repeated once he'd calmed down, "Could you put Dil on the phone?" She muttered something and he heard his fathers voice briefly as the phone was passed to Dil.

"Hey." Dil said, and Tommy heard him walking before a door closed on the other end of the phone, "Sorry bro, they took it when I showed them the text you sent."

"It's cool man." Tommy sighed, "I'm going to be coming back soon, and I'm going to have company with me."

"Sweet. So what's been happening with him? Where's he been? Chaz coming too?" Dil asked.

"No, just him. It's a long story. You'll hear it later. He's probably going to want to keep his visit as quiet as possible, so if you could keep it to yourself, that'd be great." Tommy said.

"You want me to tell Mom and Dad?" Dil asked, and Tommy thought for a moment before deciding he'd like to see the expression on his parents face when they saw Chuckie for the first time in six years. They deserved to be surprised.

"No, go ahead and keep it a secret." He grinned and Dil gave a small chuckle.

"You know Mom is going to freak."

"Yeah, well…" Tommy sighed. The shower turned off in the bathroom and feeling kind of sneaky, he whispered 'bye' to Dil and hung up, sliding the phone into his pocket. Chuckie exited the bathroom not long after that, dressed in the same clothes, but looking decidedly fresher. They stared at each other for a moment and Tommy gave a small smile to try and ease the tension.

"Are you ready?" he asked finally.

"No." Chuckie sighed, "But it's now or never."

* * *

The drive was as tedious and nerve-wracking as the drive to the hotel had been the day before. Because they were in their own cars again, Tommy found that his attention was once more focused on Chuckie's car. Thankfully, much of the drive was on a two-lane country road and there weren't many cars to deal with, or places for Chuckie to sneak away at, if he'd wanted to.

When they finally pulled up to the house, Tommy was so ecstatic that he had to quell the desire to leap out of the car. He barely managed to exit it without jumping and he turned and waited for his friend. Chuckie remained in his car for several seconds after he parked, and Tommy worried that he might take off. Just as he was getting ready to walk over, Chuckie's door opened and he climbed out in an odd, robotic fashion. He began the slow walk to the front door. His gait was stiff, as if he were fighting against some powerful force. With every determined step, he looked more and more like he was fighting the urge to turn and run. By the time Chuckie made it to the front door, he was sweating and his mouth was set in a grim line, as though facing something entirely more unpleasant than two people who were like an aunt and uncle to him. Tommy gave an encouraging smile, which did little to alleviate the tension apparent on Chuckie's face.

"You're going to be okay, man." Tommy said softly.

"Yeah…" Chuckie said, though he looked anything but convinced.

"Are you ready?" Tommy asked, very aware that he had posed this question not more than an hour ago. Chuckie gave him the barest hint of a smile, where the corners of his mouth turned up in an almost painful way, and Tommy grinned even wider when Chuckie said,

"No, but it's now or never."

Tommy pushed the door open, and spied Dil on the couch, watching T.V. and his mom and dad at the kitchen table. At the sound of the door, his parents turned and stared at the two young men in the doorway. One, two seconds passed, and then the room exploded. His mother screamed. His dad jumped up, knocking his chair to the ground and Dil broke into laughter at the spectacle. Chuckie stepped backward, surprised, maybe even scared and Tommy caught him by the upper arm without thinking. Stu was now gaping at the two of them, and mouthing wordlessly. Didi was crying silently, tears streaming down her face. They all simply stood there, frozen, caught up in emotion until finally, Stu seemed to collect himself and he walked forward, arms stretched. Chuckie tensed beneath Tommy's hand, and he gave him an encouraging squeeze. And when Stu wrapped his arms around Chuckie, Tommy let go of his arm and moved to shut the door, noting to himself that it was only to prevent his friend direct access to an escape, and he felt slightly dirty for it, though he couldn't even begin to understand why. He shrugged it away as Stu released Chuckie from the hug and Didi took him into another, "Oh, Chuckie." Didi started, just as Stu began speaking too,

"Chuckie… dear god… I can't believe it. You're here. You're ali-"

"Stu!" Didi cut in warningly, but it was already there. Already released and the comment hung in the air between them all. Tommy and Dil glanced at each other, and Chuckie pulled away from the two parents. The phrase 'You're alive' seemed to resonate throughout the room and they all understood it had been said in surprise of the fact. Didi glared at her husband who winced visibly as he seemed to realize his mistake.

"Dad?" Tommy said, frowning. Stu glanced at Didi who was shaking her head slowly as she wiped tears from her face.

"Didi…"

"No Stu… not now. It's not…" She began, but trailed off seeing the looks on the faces in front of her. She began to cry again, still shaking her head back and forth, "It isn't worth it. But… fine, I can see you all wont change your mind. Let me make some coffee and I have some leftover crumb cake too." She turned to go, but hesitated at the last second and turned back around to embrace Chuckie once more and to plant a kiss on his forehead, though she had to stand on tiptoe and pull him down to do so, "You got so tall." She murmured before heading to the kitchen.

"C'mon boys, lets go sit down. It's gonna be a long talk." Stu said, waving them all toward the kitchen table. Tommy slid into his usual chair and Chuckie sat in the one nearest, scooting it closer as he did so. Dil glanced at Tommy, clearly trying to transmit something through the gaze and Tommy shrugged, not getting it. His brother rolled his eyes, irritated. Stu looked distinctly uncomfortable now and seemed to be trying to avoid everyone's gaze and Chuckie kept staring longingly toward the door, as though he'd prefer to be on the other side of it.

It was several minutes before Didi came back in to the room, a tray in her hands laden with five coffee cups, a pot of fresh coffee, sugar and milk. She had to make a second trip for the crumb cake and plates and forks. Every one was silent as she divvied up the cake and poured the coffee. Her hands were shaking as she did it all and when she finally sat down next to Stu, he reached over and grabbed her hand in his. They shared a look of pure love that warmed Tommy to his toes to witness. The moment passed and the two adults turned to the three teens.

"Okay, to begin…" Stu said.

* * *

So what'd everyone think? I'm fairly undecided in terms of how I feel about this particular chapter. It seems sort of choppy to me, but I do like some parts of it.

I hope you enjoyed, review por favor!!! Oh, also, I set up a little poll on my profile page if anyone cared to take a look at it. Thanks for reading!


	6. My Own Little Token

I know. I took forever and it's short. But it's something, right? Some advice for you kiddos, DO NOT EVER TAKE 3 CONDENSED SUMMER CLASSES. It will kill you. Good news is, I'm halfway done with the term, woot! Also, in case anyone cares to know, I've decided to go ahead and write up that sequel to _Coming Home. _Although, I wont start that until this story and _Into the Fire _are both completed.

Please enjoy! (Oh and lemme know if there are any bad mistakes...)

* * *

"Okay so to begin…" Stu said, "Well, you guys should know that we, and the other parents, we kind of… We weren't exactly truthful about everything that happened after… after Kimi…"

"Wait. What do you mean? You lied to us?" Tommy interrupted and Stu flinched but his mom turned a sharp gaze in his direction.

"Just hear us out before you get upset." Didi said, "There was a lot going on at that time. There was so much happening. The funeral, the news people, and god, just everything. And we thought that this would be too much for you guys to handle. You were all so young. You're still so young." Her voice cracked and Stu squeezed her hand gently and continued for her.

"You see… after… everything Chaz was in a bad place, very unstable. He felt guilty for not being there for Kimi. All he talked about was 'if only.' 'If only he'd been there, if only she'd gone for the cups instead. If only he'd waited until tomorrow.' He was just so… incapable of functioning after that. Kira said he'd go into these fits where he wouldn't move or eat or sleep. Catatonic. Chuckie, you probably weren't there often enough to realize, since you spent so much time at our house."

Didi took over again, "Kira badly wanted to get him some help but every time she mentioned it, he would shut down. So one day, when you guys were at school, she staged a sort of intervention. We all got together and went to talk to him but when we got there, he…"

"He freaked." Stu provided and then cast an apologetic look at Chuckie as he added, "He went absolutely nuts. He thought we wanted to lock him up or something. And he started yelling and throwing things. We had to leave. Kira came here… it took her a while to calm down. By the time she did, we all headed down to the bus stop to pick you guys up. Kira was suddenly terrified for Chuckie… and she was right."

"Yeah! I remember that. Chuckie got pulled out of class." Tommy said, "That was the last time that…" He trailed off, remembering how upset he was when he was later told that Chuckie had gone to live with his grandparents.

"And at the bus stop, Kira broke down crying." Dil added thoughtfully.

"We didn't want to frighten all of you. So, Didi took you all home and the rest of us went to track down Chuckie. Kira and I went to her house. Betty and Howard went to the coffee shop, Drew and Charlotte went to the school. The school confirmed that Chaz had pulled him out for an appointment. At the house, Chaz's car was gone and the front door had been left hanging open, clothes and other things were missing."

"We called Chaz's phone but it had been turned off. We took Kira to the police station but they were reluctant to do anything. It had only been a few hours and because Chaz had no history of mental illness… Eventually she was able to file a missing persons report for the both of you." Stu stopped her. Chuckie was shaking his head, his hand pressed tight over his mouth as though to hide his heart-broken expression.

"What is it Chuckie?" Stu asked.

"I don't believe it. I don't." He said firmly.

"But sweetheart, it's the truth." Didi said.

"I don't believe it. She left us. That's why Dad took us away. That's why he freaked out, because she abandoned us!"

"Oh honey. Maybe that's what you've been told, but your mother would never abandon you. She never has."

"She's not my mother!" Chuckie snapped, "She did abandon us, I know it!" The adults exchanged a glance and turned back to Chuckie, saddened. They seemed speechless until finally, Didi sighed.

"Honey, I know this is difficult, but please, hear us out. Since that day, Kira has exhausted every means available to find you. There has not been a single day that has gone by that she hasn't thought about you, that we haven't thought about you." She said, although Chuckie was still shaking his head, now sobbing into his hands. Beside him, Dil looked distinctly uncomfortable but seemed resolved to stay through the whole ordeal.

"Kira hired a private investigator. She didn't ever find much. Evidence of you being enrolled at a couple of schools… but it was always a couple of weeks too late. Your mother does care about you." The table was suddenly eerily quiet except for the low, desperate gasp from the distraught teen and then he stood abruptly, face wet.

"Screw it, goddamn it! Screw it all." a brief pause, "Damn it! Goddamn it! They can both rot in hell! I don't care!" he slammed his fists on the table and then swept out of the room, leaving behind four stunned faces.

"Damn…" Dil murmured thoughtfully.

"Don't curse, sweetheart." Didi said in a distracted tone and Dil gave her an affronted look that went unnoticed.

"T… maybe you should go talk to him, eh?" Dil suggested.

"I can't imagine I'd do much good." Tommy said, not willing to admit he might be somewhat afraid to go speak with him.

"Doesn't matter, he needs to be with someone and he's your best friend." Stu said and Tommy glared at him, suddenly remembering that he'd been lied to for so long.

"I'm still angry with you guys." Tommy said firmly, "I spent six years not only thinking that Chuckie was off at his grandparents and _okay _but also thinking that he didn't want to be my friend any more. I can't believe you seriously thought it was a good idea to lie about that, and then _keep _lying about it. Didn't you care how upset I was that my friend left and never bothered to contact me? You thought that was better than telling me the truth?" He managed to keep his voice even and quiet enough that he wasn't yelling. His parents both looked rather guilty but his mom responded sharply.

"You were 12. We didn't know if he was ever going to be found, dead or alive. It was our responsibility to protect you, and maybe we shouldn't have done it, but how would it have changed anything if I told you the truth? Instead of worrying about whether he was going to ever call, you'd be worrying about whether he was going to show up dead. And I didn't want that for you. I didn't want that for any of us."

Tommy didn't know how to respond to that. His mom was right in some ways, but he was still angry and so he muttered, "Chuckie doesn't want anyone to know he's in town yet, okay?" Just as he turned to go follow his friend, his mother shot up from her chair and threw her arms around him and pulled him into a firm hug.

"I'm sorry." She said into his ear, "You are a wonderful young man and I'm glad you're my son." When she pulled away there were fresh tears in her eyes. He stared at her, confused, before he finally headed after Chuckie. He was only slightly surprised to find Chuckie in his bedroom, sitting on the bed and looking vaguely lost. Tommy wouldn't have been surprised if he had made his way here simply from muscle memory and was now trying to figure out how he got here.

Pushing back a deep sigh, he sat down next to his friend and glanced over, wondering if he should speak. Chuckie looked as though he were fighting back fresh tears while also struggling to control his anger. Just as Tommy went to open his mouth, Chuckie spoke, taking several deep, hard breaths.

"I… I know it's true." he said, his voice cracking, tears streaming down his face.

"I know." Tommy said softly.

"It's just…I can tell myself one thing… but this anger, this hatred, it's just been there for so long and I can't help feeling it." he said and fell back on the bed. Tommy fell into place beside him and reach out and grabbed his friends hand, surprised when Chuckie didn't pull it away. "I used to lay awake at night, whatever hotel or campground we were at, and just pray that Kira would come to us. Save my dad and take us home. So we could be like we were. As time went on, I prayed for different things. I prayed my dad would get himself back, that he would finally be normal. These last couple of years… I started to pray that he wouldn't come back when he went out, that he might get arrested and found out. That he would crack enough in public, so someone would see. That I might be freed."

"Chuckie… we can get your dad help. I'm sure we can find him and get him here and get him some help. You guys can stay here, get better."

"He's been like this for six years. He's been sick for six years. I don't even think he can come back, Tommy. He's gone."

"But there's no harm in trying, right?" Tommy said.

"I'm just sick of it!" his friend turned over and buried his face in the sheets.

"I wish it wasn't like this, Chuck." he murmured, "I wish life was easier for you." He reached out a hand and ran it through his friends hair, in a comforting manner. They laid like that until sleep came and claimed them, both emotionally exhausted.


	7. Still Not Truly Free

YAY! Summer quarter is over! WOOT! And this chapter is extra long!

So, the Pickle's family totally surprised and hijacked the next couple of chapters, yanking the story along. But it's working surprisingly well and barring any 'bad' surprises, I should be able to finish this within three more chapters and hopefully, before fall quarter starts up. *fingers crossed!*

Let me know if there are any terrible mistakes!

* * *

It was dark when he woke. The house was quiet, dinner was probably over, and at some point someone had given them blankets. He guessed he'd slept for about five hours. Chuckie was still fast asleep, face ghostly pale in the sparse light from the hallway. Tommy watched him for a moment and wondered what he would have done, had it been Dil murdered, his father unstable, ripped away from everything he knew. How hard that life must have been. It was amazing that Chuckie was even capable of functioning like a normal person.

"Stalker status bro."

Tommy jerked, barely stifling a yelp and he turned to look at Dil, leaning against the doorframe, "What?" He croaked out, confused.

"Stalker status, watching Chuckie like that." Dil repeated grinning, "You're creepy."

"Shut up." Tommy muttered without venom and stood, stretching, "What time is it?" Dil stepped back to let him pass and they both continued down the hallway.

"It's only nine. Mum made spaghetti and garlic bread. She put plates for you guys in the fridge." He said. Tommy felt a surge of appreciation for his mother and made a mental promise to never again complain about her occasional smothering. They made their way to the kitchen and Tommy pulled a plate from the fridge and popped it in the microwave, stomach already whining for the food. Dil hopped onto the counter and watched him, question burning his eyes. Tommy waited, knowing his brother would say what he wanted to when he was ready, and he didn't have to wait long.

"I'm kind of worried."

"About what?"

"Chaz." Tommy nodded, biting into a piece of garlic bread. The microwave beeped and he pulled out the spaghetti as Dil continued, "If he's so loony and he's basically imprisoned the Chuckster for so long… who's to say he won't figure out where Chuckie's gone and come take him back?"

"I'm not positive but I think Chuckie may've taken the car they've been using." Tommy said, "From what I can tell, there's no way Chaz would've let Chuckie get a car."

"Okay. So where does that leave us?" Dil asked. Tommy sighed. Why was Dil even asking _him? _Weren't the parents supposed to be in charge of situations involving psychotics?

"I don't know. Keep an eye out?" He shrugged listlessly and Dil rolled his eyes.

"Sometimes, you bug me, T." Dil said quite seriously.

"You too. " Tommy smiled.

"What do we do next?"

"I don't know." Tommy said, and then pressed onward, wanting to get out a thought he'd been entertaining, "I think we need to tell Kira. Even if he says he doesn't want to see her. I think he needs it. And we can't NOT tell her." His brother nodded thoughtfully before leaping from the counter and landing lightly on his toes.

"Well, I sure as heck don't envy you." Dil said with half a grin.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're going to be the one telling her, right?" Dil clarified, "She's going to freak."

"Sure. But she's going to be happy." Tommy frowned, confused.

"Yeah, but then she's going to get all emotional on you, yuck." Dil shuddered and Tommy chuckled, "Oh yeah, Mom said she and Dad are both gonna be out of the house tomorrow morning. Wanted me to let you know that they'll be back before lunch and she wants you guys to stick around. And I get to stay home from school." Dil grinned and did a little jig as he left the room.

Once his brother was gone, the small smile slid from Tommy's face as his mind raced. What _would_ they do if Chaz came back? Even more important, what would _Chaz_ do? A million different scenarios ran through his mind, the worst of which was seeing Chuckie get taken away. The spaghetti in his mouth was suddenly tasteless and he put the food back in the fridge, fatigued all over again. He briefly considered sleeping on the sofa, but he wanted to wake when Chuckie did, just in case the other teen decided to try and sneak out. A familiar flash of guilt raced through him and he shoved it away, not ready to deal with it.

Back in the bedroom, Chuckie was still sleeping, brow scrunched up as his eyes flickered back and forth beneath their lids. Tommy watched him, wondering what images plagued him. His dead sister? His crazed father? Lonely hotel rooms? His heart ached for his friend as he laid down onto his pillow. Hesitation and uncertainty gripped him before he reached out and grabbed his friend's hand. Whether by coincidence or not, a faint smile appeared on Chuckie's lips and Tommy went to sleep, content.

* * *

He woke the next morning with a start and flew out of bed, blind with panic and not understanding why. His heart pounded a beat in his ears as he tried to understand the sudden adrenaline rush. He turned and found the bed empty next to him. A quick once over of the room found it empty as well. Panic now clawing at his chest, he flew from the room and pounded down the stairs, almost crashing into Dil, nearly knocking the bowl of cereal from his hands.

"HEY!" his brother shouted, steadying the bowl.

"Where is he?"

"What?"

"Chuckie! Where is he?" Tommy practically shouted.

"He went to get his bag from his car or something."

"What? And you just let him?" Tommy shouted, hurrying to the window. Dil slowed and quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah. He's kind of a grown, capable adult." Dil said. Tommy peered out the window and almost collapsed in relief to see Chuckie headed back up the walk with two bags in hand.

"He really that much of a flight risk, T?" Dil asked and Tommy only turned and looked at him wordlessly, nodding. Before Dil could respond, the front door began to open and Tommy skirted away from the window, not wanting Chuckie to realize he'd been spying. He was focusing intently on a blonde newscaster delivering a report on a string of robberies when Chuckie spoke, surprised:

"Hey, you're awake." Tommy turned and found his friend viewing him suspiciously.

"What?" He asked nervously.

"You were sleeping pretty deep when I left." Chuckie said.

"Had a nightmare. About earwigs." Tommy said, shuddering and was painfully aware of Dil observing their exchange through intense eyes. Chuckie continued to stare at him unconvinced before he finally shuffled in all the way with his bags.

"I'm going to take a shower and put some fresh clothes on." Chuckie hauled the bags after him and up the stairs. A feeling of relief and familiarity washed over Tommy when he realized that Chuckie hadn't bothered to ask if it was alright for him to use the shower. It felt like before. It felt… _normal. _With a contented sigh, he went and sat next to Dil on the sofa, not quite ready to fix his morning coffee.

"You lied." Dil stated, without accusation or suspicion but with curiosity. Out of paranoia, Tommy turned to look over his shoulder. They were still alone.

"What're you talking about?"

"You lied to Chuckie about that 'nightmare.'"

"Okay, so what?"

"Why?"

Tommy hesitated, not quite sure for himself. It had been a reflex. He just didn't want Chuckie to know how badly he was keeping an eye on him. Feeling Dil's heavy gaze on him, he finally shrugged. After a moment, Dil turned back to the television, "Well, you're starting to weird me out."

"What! Why?" He spluttered.

"Because you're hawking over Chuckie like you are. Following him, watching him, making sure he doesn't go anywhere without supervision. It's creepy." Dil said flatly and a light blush graced Tommy's face.

"I'm not creepy." Tommy said before realizing it was terrible defense, "He's confused and he needs someone to help him get things straightened out. What if he leaves and doesn't come back? I'm just trying to protect him."

"And I'll bet Chaz was thinking that exact same thing. Just keep that in mind." Dil said knowingly, lifting an eyebrow at him as he stood, "You should make some pancakes. I'm still hungry." But Tommy barely heard him, finally understanding the guilt he'd been feeling. He must've known on some level that what he was doing was little different than any of Chaz's behaviors. A disgusted shudder made its way through him and he pulled himself from the couch, ready to distract himself with coffee and, he supposed, pancakes.

* * *

Chuckie came down the stairs, clean and in fresh clothes, just as Tommy was setting a plate of blueberry pancakes fresh from the griddle onto the table. Dil had already appeared and piled a plate high, drowning it in syrup before he disappeared back into his bedroom to play one of his many video games. A pot of coffee was steaming on the hot plate and Tommy poured two cups before turning back to the table where his friend sat staring at the pancakes.

"So how'd you sleep?" Tommy finally asked, handing Chuckie a coffee.

"Good." The older teen took a long gulp before setting the mug down and starting into the pancakes. Tommy sipped his own and watched Chuckie, considering the last couple of days. Dil had definitely been right. He'd been acting creepy and he could definitely rationalize it as monitoring a confused and emotionally scarred person, but it didn't change the fact that he'd been fairly close to keeping Chuckie captive. On the other hand, he needed to know that his friend wasn't going to turn and run at every unpleasant moment.

"You gonna eat or just stare at me?" Chuckie's voice broke into his thoughts and Tommy blinked, registering his words. In response, he poured syrup on his pancakes and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. He made his decision before he was done swallowing.

"Can you make me a promise?"

"Depends." Chuckie said hesitantly, no longer meeting Tommy's gaze and he was reminded of their first meeting. They'd already come so far in such a small amount of time and he hated any reminder of the zombie-Chuckie he'd met in the cemetery.

"Promise you wont try and take off without any warning. If you feel like you have to go… can you please tell me before you do?" It was hard to force out, knowing that Chuckie could easily say no, but needing the reassurance that 'yes' would give him.

Chuckie set his fork down and leaned back in the chair, still avoiding Tommy's pleading eyes. "I don't want to leave." Tommy opened his mouth excited, but Chuckie cut him off, "But it might happen. I… I want to stay. I want to… be normal. But I can't promise that I'll stay… or that I'll give you any warning." Tommy's mouth snapped shut with a sharp click, heart sinking to his stomach.

"But why, if you want- I don't understand-"

"You wouldn't." Chuckie said shortly and a swift flame of anger burned inside Tommy and he took a deep breath.

"Can't you trust me?" He asked and hated that it came out so bitterly and tried to correct it, adding earnestly, "If you just explained to me, helped me to understand. You can trust me, Chuckie."

"It's not about that." Chuckie said, "Just… forget it." The kitchen was silent then, both teens picking listlessly at their pancakes, appetites forgotten. Finally Tommy tried a different tactic.

"You remember at the diner?" He eased in slowly and Chuckie nodded, "You said something about your dad breaking your glasses…?" A deep, resigned sigh escaped Chuckie as he looked away again and Tommy was sure he was going to be ignored. And was surprised when his friend answered.

"He would break my glasses every once in a while. At first, I thought it was an accident. And then there were a couple of times when I'd go to sleep, my glasses on the nightstand and I'd wake up to find them snapped in half, but in the same spot that I'd left them. I asked him about it once or twice, and he just ignored me. We stayed in one place long enough to order extra glasses and contacts. I got the contacts because I could hide them in my sock or a pocket and I didn't have to worry about not being able to see."

"But why?" Tommy asked and Chuckie's eyes darkened as he drifted back.

"For the same reason he refused to let me take a driving test, or stay in school. He was scared to give me any escape. He was afraid that I'd leave." Even as he remained straight-faced, Chuckie's voice raised, anger climbing as he spoke. Tommy hesitated, very aware that he'd already asked his next question and had gotten his head bitten off for it, but too curious not to ask.

"So… where is Chaz?"

"I don't know." Chuckie said, "This was the closest we'd gotten in all our years of being away and I knew I had to take this chance and leave. We set up camp outside this small town close to the states border and that night, I stole the car and extra cash and left him there."

"Wow." Tommy said slowly, "Do you think that he'll follow you?" Chuckie shifted uneasily and swallowed several times before he spoke in a heavy voice.

"I doubt if he can. He probably can't even think straight enough to even know where I've gone. Not to mention, he has no way of getting here. He can't deal with people, he'd never be able to ask anyone for help." Chuckie paused, swallowing again and Tommy realized he was fighting back tears, "He's probably still there. Probably can't function, like your parents said."

Tommy stared at his hands, unsure of what to say to make his friend feel better. He felt useless. What could he possibly say? He was spared having to say anything when Dil sprinted into the kitchen, eyes wide and mouthing wordlessly before he finally squeezed out a single sentence.

"Mom and Dad are back and they brought a guest."

Alarmed, Tommy stood and left to peer out the front window where three people were making their way up the walk. His jaw dropped and anger on his friends behalf shot through him. Feeling a presence at his shoulder, he turned and saw Chuckie, face a ghastly shade of green, gaping at the three adults. Before he could say anything, his friend turned and fled the room, barreling up the stairs three at time and disappearing before a door slammed shut so hard the entire house shuddered.

Knowing there was little he could do to calm his friend at the moment, Tommy crossed his arms and waited, furious at his parents.

* * *

Oh my goodness! Who could it possibly be! Review? :)


	8. All Your Pain Awoken

Before I forget, Kiki- I think that it would've been a great idea to get Chaz's perspective and if the story were going in a different direction, I would totally have done that. However, I think it might actually detract from what's going to happen. I do appreciate the suggestion though! Thank you!

Also, I've been meaning to do this for awhile now, special thanks to acosta perez jose ramiro for being such a constant and faithful reviewer! I'm grateful for your continued readership and reviews!

And of course my dear friend, Bandit-Sama, you absolutely SPOIL me! It warms my heart every time I read your reviews and I can't put into words how much I absolutely love and appreciate you!

And for all of my faithful readers, I hope you enjoy! Lol, and for the record, I really didn't expect the persons identity to be completely mysterious or shocking, I was feeling kinda facetious when I asked 'who could it be?' :P

* * *

Tommy barely waited for the door to open before he spoke, "Mom, Dad, I need to see you in the kitchen." They paused in the doorway. Stu shot Didi a look that might have been a 'told you so' but he only ushered Kira into the living room, murmuring a quick apology. Didi walked into the kitchen purposefully and his father edged in hesitantly after her.

"I can't believe you would do this!" Tommy hissed.

"Do what?" Didi said and her tone was one that he had labeled her 'Mama Bear' voice. He had never heard the dangerous tone directed at him and it briefly threw him off.

"I _told _you that Chuckie didn't want _anyone _to know he was in town! How could you not think that that _included _the mother he's obviously got issues with right now! How could you do this!"

"Because that is his mother." Didi said firmly, her lips pursed tight. "That poor woman has been searching for her son for six years, thinking that he might be dead. I'm not keeping a mother away from her son."

Tommy could barely muster the self-control to not yell at her and he took a deep calming breath, "And you thought that popping up here and surprising an emotionally damaged person with an emotionally fragile person was a good idea?" The sarcasm dripped out unbidden.

"Hey. Watch the attitude." Stu cut in.

"Did you even let her know how Chuckie feels? How he might react to her?" Tommy asked, still fighting to repress the scorn making its way to the surface.

"Of course we did!" Didi said, indignant, "What do you think we were doing all morning?"

"Not thinking apparently." Tommy snapped, "You saw how he reacted at the very mention of Kira. Bringing her here, with no warning. Exactly how could you think this was a good idea?"

"A boy needs his mother." Didi said simply and swept from the kitchen to go to Kira's side. Tommy glanced at his father who had been largely silent through the exchange. His father merely gave a long-suffering sigh and threw an arm over his shoulder.

"I know it's hard to understand this, but your parents aren't completely incompetent." Stu said, "We kind of actually know stuff. Now, just absorb that information for a second. It's hard to take in, I know." He gave Tommy half a grin before steering him into the living room. Didi was sitting with Kira on the sofa and Tommy finally looked at her. The last time he'd seen her was almost a year ago. The families used to get together often, but the visits were often emotional and strained and the moment he was given the choice, he began to opt out. Nowadays it was just the adults who still got together on occasion.

Stu had carried in a small suitcase with her, which now lay at her feet and she clutched a stack of papers with white knuckles. Kira had always been thin, but now she seemed almost withered, and looked as thought the slightest bit of pressure might cause her to collapse. Her hair had gone completely gray and was spun into a haphazard bun. There was a haunted expression in her eyes, a hollowness almost, that mirrored the expression he had grown used to seeing on Chuckie's face. It was the expression of someone who had lost everything.

He swallowed hard and looked away. He had fully intended to tell her about Chuckie, but not now. Not so soon. And certainly not without warning both parties. Not without telling them. This was dangerous for both of their psyches. Chuckie's outbursts would surely destroy the fragile Kira.

He watched Kira's shaking hands as she shifted the papers and nodded at something that Didi was saying. Perhaps he should go work on calming Chuckie down or something. But as he turned to go, Kira jumped up and ran toward him, throwing her arms around him.

"Thank you, Tommy." Her voice was almost a thin keen even as she pressed red-rimmed eyes into his shoulder. He hugged her back, heart pained as he tried not to imagine how badly this could go.

"Mom and Dad told you that he may not want to see you, right?" He asked quietly, slowly.

"Yes. Yes. I know what to expect." She said, voice earnest and Tommy winced internally.

"I think I should go and talk to him first." And Kira nodded, smiling even as tears spilled from her eyes.

"Of course, yes."

He hugged her again and then headed up the stairs. Dil stuck his head out from his room as he passed. Tommy jumped, not having seen when his brother had disappeared again.

"Is there crying?" Dil asked.

"Kind of." Tommy said and Dil cringed, "You should go say hi to Kira."

"If there's crying, I'm staying here."

"Go say hi now. It's going to be way worse later." Tommy advised. Dil sighed and rolled his eyes even as he began trudging toward the stairs. Tommy waited a moment before forcing himself onward. The door to his room was shut and he was thankful that he had never put a lock on the door. Nevertheless, he knocked softly.

"Chuck?" He called out. There was a muted grunt from the other side of the door. "I'm sorry about this. I didn't know they'd do this, especially without telling you." He waited for another response, but none came. Sighing, he opened the door a crack, "I'm coming in, okay?"

"Fine." came the muttered response and Tommy nudged the door all the way open. Chuckie was staring out the window, frown etched into his face. At least he hadn't fallen back into zombie mode. He went and pulled his desk chair across from Chuckie and sat down, struggling to form a sentence that might make this easier. Like so many times in the last couple of days, he was left speechless. And he hated feeling at such a disadvantage.

"I wasn't prepared for this." Chuckie said, voice tremulous as he turned to face him. "Goddammit. This all got… This wasn't- it wasn't what I planned."

"I know. I'm sorry. I should've made it more clear that you needed time." Tommy said, leaning forward.

"No, you don't get it. You just don't." Chuckie said, looking away and Tommy wanted to grab him and shake him until whatever it is that he didn't get it finally just came out. Instead, he lumbered on.

"Can you talk to her? Will you?"

Tommy watched as several emotions fought their way across his face and finally Chuckie looked at him, eyes beseeching him for an answer he didn't have. Moments passed and Tommy pressed him gently, "She really wants to see you."

"Okay. Alright, yeah." Chuckie said and Tommy leaned forward to squeeze his shoulder.

"Okay, I'm going to go get her." He turned to leave the room as Chuckie gave a tight-lipped nod. Tommy paused on the stairs to give his friend a little extra time to prep himself.

In the living room, Kira was standing almost exactly as he had left her and the look of hope on her face was almost blinding in its naiveté. His family hovered nearby, anxious.

Tommy took Kira's empty hand, the other still clutching the stack of papers, "Please, if he says anything… remember not to take it personally, okay?" She nodded emphatically and he bit back a sigh as he led her up the stairs. When they turned into his bedroom, she stopped dead in her tracks, tears jumped to her eyes and she shook underneath his touch. Chuckie was just as frozen, two deer who surprised each other in the forest and didn't know how to respond. Tommy took a small step backward, ready to intervene if it became necessary.

Finally, Kira edged toward him as close as she dared and stared at his shoulder rather than meet his eyes, which were cold and distant, "I… I brought you the missing persons report I filed, for you and Chaz." She began hesitantly, "And- and the reports from my private investigator. Because Didi and Stu said y-you didn't… you weren't… that you thought something else… and I wanted you, to know… the truth."

It was painful to watch the exchange. Kira so hesitant and unsure, and Tommy cringed when Chuckie spoke, waiting for the other teen to lash out and verbally attack her. Terrified to watch the fragile woman in front of him be destroyed by Chuckie. And again, Tommy was surprised by him when the other teen reached out, took the proffered papers and then dropped them to the floor. A small gasp escaped Kira's lips as she gaped, wordless, and then Chuckie took a timid step forward and wrapped his arms around his adoptive mother. The action opened a floodgate and she began to sob hysterically into his chest, speaking again in a swift, blubbering voice, unable to stop herself even as Chuckie shushed her.

"I was so worried. It had been so long. I thought- I feared. I cannot believe you are here. My handsome boy. My beautiful, handsome boy. Losing Kimi, and then you. I almost could not bear it. So much hoping and praying." She sobbed harder, "You are the best gift. The only thing-" and finally she could no longer form any words and only clutched Chuckie with desperate, frantic fists. An action, an emotion that reminded Tommy of Chuckie the first time he opened up. Desperation, fear, heartache, all palpable in the air.

Chuckie glanced at him over Kira's shoulder, his green eyes red-rimmed and wet, and they communicated a powerful emotion, one that could have no equal in words, but Tommy understood it anyway. Gratitude, gratitude drowned in love and admiration and Tommy nodded as he edged from the room to give them some privacy.

Halfway down the stairs, he realized his cheeks were wet.

* * *

I wonder if that's as fluffy/sad as I think it is…

You guys are going to hate me soon…


	9. Happiness with a Fee

So… some of you seemed to anticipate what was going to happen. Wont say much except...

WARNING: So far things have been pretty PG, but a teensy amount of violence (and yuck, for the sensitive) is in this chapter.

* * *

Tommy headed downstairs and told his parents that Kira and Chuckie were talking. They both smiled (a bit knowingly, he thought) and then went to the door and slid their jackets on.

"We're going to get some stuff for dinner." Didi said.

"Why don't you rake the leaves while we're out?" Stu added and Tommy scowled at him.

"We wont be gone long." Didi said and reached out to hug Tommy once again. His parents left, leaning into one another as they made their way to the car. Outside the sun was shining and he knew that raking would only take a few minutes and he grabbed his most recent manuscript, which had been neglected for the past few weeks.

He raked the leaves to the far corner of the lawn and then plopped down on to them to bask in the autumn sun. For a moment he just lay there, feeling like a little kid and turned on his belly to go over the manuscript. Barely five minutes had passed before the front door opened and Kira and Chuckie came walking out.

Tommy hunkered further down into the leaves and remained unnoticed. They walked to the garage and sat down, apparently also enjoying the sun. He couldn't hear what they were saying and was kind of grateful for it, not wanting to intrude anymore than he was.

They were smiling, sometimes crying together but they were glowing with happiness. And while Chuckie was slow to trust Kira, it was clear that he'd desperately missed her, even if he'd been lacking in normal human affection for almost half of his life. Though Tommy tried to keep himself busy, he couldn't help watching the warm, intimate moments between them and he felt almost like voyeur. Finally he managed to immerse himself in his new manuscript and focused on some of the lines that needed improvement and sections he didn't like.

He was halfway through the manuscript, muttering quietly to himself when it happened.

He hadn't registered the squealing tires, though the acrid scent of burning rubber eventually hit his nose. A scream ripped through his concentration and he bolted upright, heart pounding as he took in the scene before him.

Across the lawn, he saw Chuckie and Kira huddled together, staring toward the street and what he saw there sent a jolt of adrenaline through his veins.

Standing on the sidewalk was Chaz Finster. Thin as a rail, with gray skin covered in dirt and filth. His beard and hair were long, ragged and matted with grime and grease. Wide, crazy eyes seemed to protrude from a gaunt, ill face; reddened orbs on an ashen backdrop. And worst of all was the raised gun pointed straight at his best friend and Kira. For a moment, time stood frozen. Kira and Chuckie gaping at Chaz. Chaz staring back, looking more deranged by the second. And Tommy still laying unseen in the leaves.

And then the front door banged open with a sharp crack and all four of them jumped, along with Tommy's heart into his throat and he waited, terrified, for a shot to be squeezed off accidentally by the neurotic, twitchy man. Thankfully no shot came.

Dil peered out the door, concerned, and Tommy begged silently for him to go back inside. His prayers went unheeded as Dil's eyes swept the scene and his brother froze visibly when he saw Chaz.

"Don't move!" Chaz screamed, swinging the gun in Dil's direction. He seemed to consider it for a moment but didn't move. Chaz swung the handgun back to son and mother.

"You give Chuckie back to me!" Chaz snarled.

And then suddenly, Tommy realized he needed to call the cops and he felt for his cell phone in his pocket, eyes still riveted on the scene unfolding before him. His shaking hands came back empty and he nearly cursed realizing that he'd left it in the house.

There was a brief moment of silence and then Kira spoke, barely audible, voice shaking.

"Chaz, you don't have to do this-" A shot pierced the air and slammed into the garage behind them. Kira screamed and pulled Chuckie tight to her. Upon firing the shot, Chaz appeared to unhinge even more, hands shaking violently and his eyes so wide they looked in danger of popping out.

"Quiet! Give me back my son, you witch!"

Chuckie appeared to be trying to situate himself in front of Kira, but she resisted his attempts, clinging tight to him and Tommy realized they were both trying to protect the other. Something in his chest clenched painfully. Finally Chuckie seemed to relent and spoke, Kira still standing in front of him.

"Dad, I want to be here."

A moment of the worst kind of silence passed and Tommy waited with bated breath, chest burning.

"They've brainwashed you!" Chaz suddenly shouted and Tommy's heart jumped anew. Chuckie's face tightened and he roughly maneuvered a shocked Kira behind him, who finally relented.

"They haven't. Dad, I ran away. I couldn't take it anymore. I can't live like that anymore." His voice shook audibly but he managed to speak calmly.

"It's okay Chuckie, just come here. It'll be okay." Chaz held out a dirty hand, motioning and coaxing Chuckie forward, and then he suddenly he jerked back, "Don't move!" He snarled, swinging the gun back to Dil, who froze, having almost made it through the doorway.

"You! Get over here!" He gestured at Dil to move toward Kira and Chuckie. Again the younger teen seemed to debate his options but Chaz raised the gun and aimed, "Now!" Dil decided to comply, and walked toward mother and son, dragging his feet in an almost petulant manner.

Tommy's heart sunk even lower gazing at the three of the clustered together. He wondered if a neighbor had called 911 yet, if they even knew what was happening at all. Once more he found himself praying, this time that help had been called.

Kira tried once more to placate the deranged man, "Chaz, please, if you'll just calm down-"

"I said shut up!" he swung the shaking gun back to her, spittle flying out as he yelled, enraged, "I knew you were going to try and take him from me. I knew it! Well he's my son! Mine! Chuckie! Just come here!"

"Dad, please listen to me," Chuckie begged, "I'm not going anywhere. Not with you. You need help, Dad." Chaz went rigid, gun now fixed on Chuckie, and Tommy tensed, sensing a change.

"They've gotten to you." Chaz said and his deadened voice chilled him to the bone and he knew what was coming before Chaz said it and was already vaulting across the lawn as the words left Chaz's mouth, "I have to free you." But Tommy was yelling now, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He heard Dil yell "No!"; heard Kira scream once more; _felt_ the fear emanating off of them all. He felt as though he were watching in slow motion as Chaz turned, gun raised and he saw the barrel of the gun, enormous as a road tunnel. Then he plowed into Chaz at full speed and tackled him to the ground.

A shot fired as they tussled, another scream echoed in his ears, but he was aware only of fighting for the lives of himself and that of his friends. Several of his blows connected with the thin man beneath and he was unaware of any blows landing on him and he was certain that he'd be able to get the gun from the ill, starved man. And then Chaz slipped from his grasp, and Tommy couldn't figure out how, and then he was standing over him, gun still in hand… but covered in bright, red blood, grotesquely vivid on his worn stained clothing and the both of them looked for Chaz's wound.

Sirens were blaring off in the distance and Chaz's head shot up and he stared at him, sprawled on the ground, chest heaving from the brief fight, and Tommy knew that Chaz was going to shoot and kill him and that these were his last few seconds on earth.

He stared at Tommy, raised the gun, cried "Oh god…" and then blasted himself through the temple and dropped to the concrete, blood and brain matter, bits of skull, splattering across the concrete.

Tommy let out a breathy gasp of shock and then Dil and Kira were beside him, crying, talking all at once.

"Don't move T. Help's going to be here soon." Dil said, face white, eyes wide.

"What do you mean? I'm fine." He tried to say, but his tongue wouldn't cooperate and he suddenly became aware of a terrible, throbbing pain in his torso that seemed to worsen with each heart beat and he glanced down and stared in horror at a gaping wound in his stomach, blood spewing forth with each pulse of his heart.

Dil removed his shirt and pressed it tight to the wound. Tommy desperately tried to understand how this had happened and then he realized that the blood on Chaz had been his own. All that blood….

"It'll probably get you infected, it's so dirty." Dil said through a tight-lipped smile, but Tommy saw the stark terror in his eyes.

"I don't understand." he tried to speak again but his limbs felt leaden and his tongue still wouldn't cooperate and then his eyes grew heavy, darkness encroaching on his vision. Just before he slipped away, his eyes landed on Chuckie, tears pouring down his face and Tommy wanted to help him, and then all he saw was darkness.

* * *

Please don't hurt me! *runs away* D:


	10. Pain and Misery

Sorry folks… I've been having a trying time in terms of being able to force any work out of me. (Been bitten by the Melancholy Bug).

For the record, this is only a friendship fic, so any slash-averse individuals need not worry.

BlackAmethyst123 - In complete and absolute earnestness, I would like to know what you meant in regards to your comment about descriptions. Was it the content of the description, or the description itself that bothered you? Was it heavy, out of place?

In all honesty, I really wasn't feeling too happy when I posted it and with how things have been lately, I haven't gone back and read it. So I don't know if it's crap or not, and would like to.

* * *

Dil always thought that he'd be a wreck in an emergency. Honesty was important to him and he wasn't going to say he'd be a cool cat in a bad situation purely for ego's sake, and prior to today he'd have assumed that if Tommy was ever shot protecting his best friend, that he would be a useless mass of jelly. But as Tommy slipped out of consciousness, he suddenly found himself controlling the situation.

"Chuckie, call 911. Make sure those sirens knows where to find us. Kira, I need your coat in case he goes into shock and get something underneath his feet. Then call my mom and dad and let them know to meet us at the hospital." He snapped out. They stared at him, not quite present, still reeling over what had just happened. "NOW!"

They shook themselves. Kira shrugged out of her jacket and lay it over Tommy, her thin hands shaking violently. Dil kept Tommy's head in his lap, kept pressure on the wound. He watched as Chuckie fumbled with the phone, eyes darting to Chaz's body in the driveway and he had to fight to keep his own gaze away from the corpse.

The ambulance was taking forever to get there and Tommy was getting paler by the second.

He was on the verge of hysterical anger when they finally, _finally_ arrived and then Dil found himself spewing forth information he hadn't registered consciously. He chattered off about the gun, the wound, his brothers blood type, their health insurance and more until finally the EMT hushed him as they loaded Tommy into an ambulance and gestured him aboard, just as three police cars pulled to the front of the house. One EMT spoke rapidly with an officer, who got back into his patrol car to follow them. Dil glanced out the back window as they pulled away, eyes falling on Chuckie who had dropped to the cement, face frozen.

Dil turned back to his brother who lay pale and unmoving on the cot while the EMT's moved quickly, efficiently. His ears were buzzing, heart still pounding a near erratic tempo in his chest.

Well_, _he thought dryly, at least now he knew he'd be able to keep his head in an emergency, if only to keep from losing his mind.

* * *

It was hard not to look. Seeing it once was more than enough, but his eyes kept sliding back, drawn by some morbid magnetic pull. It was already burned into his brain, the image of his father raising the gun, putting it to his head. So vivid and yet, he felt as though he were dreaming. As if all the oxygen was gone and he was just floating in a vast emptiness where only he and all his imaginings existed.

The cops were trying to ask him questions, but he could barely breath and then suddenly, his stomach heaved and pushed away to retch on the ground. A female officer, knelt next to him, rubbing his back while her partner stepped away. They'd tried to keep him and Kira apart to get both of their stories, but Kira ran and crouched next to him, fingers curling around his hand and he leaned in to her. His mother. She wiped at his mouth with her sleeve and the simple action sent a fresh cascade of tears down his face. It'd been so long since he'd felt so cared for.

Once calmed, they both stood and his eyes drifted once more to his father's dead body (dead) and he saw that one of the officer's had covered the mangled skull with their jacket. Blood stained the once pristine driveway, spreading down the concrete to the road. Chuckie's eyes soon became riveted on the blood that was Tommy's and he had to fight back the bile that burned in his throat and mouth. He was assaulted by the images of what had just occurred. Of watching Tommy run, the brief fight cut short by a gun shot. The look of shock on Tommy's face when he realized, the look of terror on Dil's, on Kira's, and, for that brief second, his father's.

He'd known from the beginning that this would happen. He should've stayed away. He should've left the second he got the chance. He'd brought this upon the only people who were kind enough to let him back in, to accept him as family even after he'd been gone for six years. What had he done to them? And for what? Ruined their lives so he could pretend he was normal for just a few days. His gut roiled again and he swallowed hard, trying to ease back the bile.

"I've got to see if he's okay." He stared at his mother, pleading, "Tommy's gotta be okay."

She turned to the police officers and spoke, her normally polite voice taking on an almost hysteric, bossy tone and suddenly they were being ushered into the back of a cruiser and heading to the hospital.

When they arrived, they found Stu and Didi in the waiting room, white knuckles gripping white knuckles. When Didi saw them, she jumped up and Chuckie had to fight the urge to turn around and run but she only opened her arms and hugged the both of them, whispering fiercely into their cheeks, "I'm so glad you're both okay!" Her voice was tremulous and Chuckie forced himself to return the embrace, guilt and anguish fighting in his gut, his heart aching in his chest. He felt like a traitor. A bad omen. A black cat that crossed their path and didn't even have the good decency to continue on his way. Something awful and disgusting. He didn't deserve their love, their care or concern, and yet he stayed and took it from them.

Stu came and hugged them both as well as he told them what the doctors had said. Tommy had lost a lot of blood, there were arteries that had been hit and needed to be fixed. It would be hours before they'd know anything. The only thing they could do was wait. Dil was donating blood. He and Tommy had the same blood type and he had wanted to do something to help.

Chuckie waited, unmoving, unspeaking as Kira held tight to his hand and spoke comforting words to Stu and Didi. Someone went for coffee and pressed a cup into his hand. Magazines were passed around and he stared at a picture of some actress or singer while his thoughts were ran rampant in his mind. What if Tommy died? How could he live knowing that he had caused the death of the very person who had saved his life? And so many times? He shivered at the thought of watching Stu and Didi's faces fall.

He should have stayed gone.

And then suddenly, a doctor was walking toward them. Stu and Didi stood, as did Dil (when had he returned?) and Kira tugged him to his feet. His insides quivered as the doctor began to speak, muscles tensing as if to turn and run as he repeated his inner mantra, _I should have stayed gone. _

* * *

Sorry if there are any awful typos, I just wanted to hurry up and get this to you guys before you abandoned me for good. Eek. Last chapter by Saturday, I promise!


	11. Finale

Okay, so maybe I didn't get this posted as early as I should have. But I technically it is still Saturday! /ashamed/

* * *

Everything hurt. His chest, his stomach, his head, all throbbed with a dull, aching pain. He wanted to sink back into the darkness to escape the pain, but something was dragging him to consciousness and he couldn't fight it. A groan of pain left his lips when he opened his eyes and flinched at the bright light.

There was sudden movement, a shout and more bustling near him. He gathered up the will to open his eyes again just as a young nurse leaned over him, "Scale of 1 to 10, 10 being excruciating, how's the pain?" She asked. A single tear slipped from his eye as he held up nine fingers. The nurse nodded and turned to adjust his I.V. Relief was almost immediate and he sighed thankfully. Only then, when the pain receded, did he see his parents off to the side, smiling.

The nurse proceeded to ask several questions and when she was satisfied, she pat his arm and told him she'd be back soon. His parents swept forward, eager. His dad gripped his shoulder and his mother grabbed his hand.

"How's Dil? And Chuckie and Kira?" He rasped and his mom burst in to tears. Alarmed he looked to his father.

"They're fine! Your mom's just happy you're okay." He said quickly and she nodded, wordlessly.

"Where are they? What happened?" he asked, throat raw and croaking. His mother pressed a cup of ice chips into his hands and he swallowed some, enjoying the crisp relief to his throat.

"Your brother told us what you did. You're a hero, Tommy." Stu said and he flushed, looking away.

"No, I'm not. Tell me what happened, I don't remember."

"Chaz was going to shoot Chuckie, you intervened and fought with Chaz and the gun went off. You were shot. Chaz… I don't know… maybe he realized what he'd done… or maybe he decided enough was enough. Either way, he shot himself." He suddenly remembered with surprising clarity and instantly wished to forget it. His heart ached for Chuckie and what he was feeling. Stu continued, "Kira called us and Dil kept pressure on your wound- "

"They said if he hadn't, you would've died!" Didi burst in, tearfully.

"Sounds to me like he's the hero." Tommy said. At just that moment, Dil walked in. The first thing Tommy noticed was the bright green bandage wrapped around his elbow.

"Hey big bro! You're finally awake!" Dil said grinning. He came forward and gave Tommy a hug.

"Were you donating blood?" Tommy asked as his brother pulled away.

"Sure was. Nothing else to do while waiting for you to decide if you wanted to stick around."

"Dylan!" Stu shouted, just as Didi gasped, "Dylan Prescott!" Dil grinned sheepishly.

"What do you mean?" Tommy looked from his parents to his brother, curious.

"You were in and out for a bit there." Dil said somberly, "'Touch and go' they said. You lost a lot of blood… you died once."

"Dil provided blood for you." Didi put in softly.

"Wow." Tommy murmured.

"Yeah." Dil said, "You're not allowed to die until you have a cooler car for me to inherit." He grinned and was met with collective sighs.

"Thanks man." Tommy said, grinning back. Dil just nodded. "So where are Kira and Chuckie?"

"Kira's taking care of Chaz's body." Stu said voice and expression grim," She and Chuckie spent some time talking with the police. They got a brief statement from Dil and may want to speak with you later."

"And Chuckie's waiting outside." Didi added, "Did you want to have some time with him?"

"Yeah, please." He said. His family gave him several more hugs before they finally bustled out. Didi wiping stray tears from her eyes as she went. It was several moments before Chuckie entered the room. When he did, it was very apparent he'd been crying, though that was no surprise, having seen his father commit suicide right in front of him. Chuckie stood there uncertainly until Tommy motioned him in. As he came closer, Tommy saw his eyes were flat, expressionless and he frowned, worried that his friend had lost all the progress they'd made.

"How are you?" Tommy asked and then winced at the stupid question. Chuckie turned away, pacing up and down next to the hospital bed.

"How could you ask that, Tommy!" Chuckie snapped and turned back to him, eyes full of tears. Chuckie wiped them away with his sleeve and Tommy started to apologize but Chuckie cut him off. "You're lying in a hospital bed after being shot by my deranged father! You almost died! How could you ask me that? Isn't that my job at this point?"

Tommy had to cover his mouth to stop the sudden morbid laughter threatening to escape his throat, "You're upset because I asked how you were doing, first?" He finally managed and Chuckie glared at him, obviously catching the playful tone.

"Because you asked at all." Chuckie said, "You almost _died _because of me! You should be pissed off or resentful, or something."

"Oh Chuck… it wasn't your fault, okay? I'm not upset because there's no reason to be." Tommy said and looked at him imploringly, to see that he understood but Chuckie was wiping away fresh tears.

"What's wrong with you?" he finally managed to gasp out, "What'd your parents do when you were a baby that made you so damned wonderful?"

Tommy was rendered momentarily speechless before he said, "Uh… I don't know… Cheerios?"  
And Chuckie reached over, mindful of the I.V., and pulled him into a hug and sobbed into Tommy's shoulder.

"Do you know what today is?" Chuckie asked suddenly, moving away. Tommy was momentarily thrown off balance by the sudden change in topic. Then, looking at his best friend's grim face, he knew.

"Kimi's anniversary."

Chuckie nodded, expression etched with pain, "I don't know what I would've done if I'd lost you, my dad and Kimi all on this day."

"Well, you didn't, okay?"

"I'm sorry I brought this on you." Chuckie muttered, "If I hadn't come back, none of this would've happened."

"Yeah, but I'd still be short one best friend." Tommy grinned.

"Thank you Tommy. For everything. You've saved my life twice now. I don't how I'll ever repay you."

"Wait, twice?" he asked confused, "I only took one bullet, right?" The room was suddenly quiet, except for the ever present beeping machines, and the blood drained from Chuckie's face. Panic fought with something else and then, he simply seemed resigned.

"Do you remember the day you found me… and you asked me where I'd planned on going?" he asked and Tommy realized he wasn't sure he wanted the answer anymore. "I said I didn't know. But I did. I was going to drive the car off a cliff. Or into a lake. Or a wall. I was planning on ending it. I was done. I was tired. I didn't want to do it anymore." He finished, his voice cracking and it was a moment before Tommy could find his voice to respond.

"Well, thank you for choosing to stick around."

"Thank you for giving me a reason to." And they smiled at each other, Tommy feeling almost giddy, though he blamed it on whatever painkillers they were giving him.

"No Mom! They're being sappy!" Dil's panicked voice startled them and they turned to see Dil being shoved into the room by Didi; Stu and Kira following behind them.

And then, to Tommy's shock and amazement, Chuckie laughed out loud.

* * *

Tommy slept a lot over the next several weeks. He'd needed to undergo several more surgeries but was healing well and the nurses frequently praised his good attitude. His parents hovered frequently over him and he had stream of visitors, seeing the twins and his cousin for the first time in several months. Chuckie still wasn't quite ready to see them and chose to slip away before they arrived.

They arrived with balloons, cards and candy and he showed off his wound with an odd sense of pride and laughed when Angelica cringed and the twins 'oohed' and 'aahed' over it. Plans were made to see each other again soon with promises for the next visit not to be at the hospital.

Kira and Chuckie left for a couple of weeks, visiting Chuckie's grandparents who had long since given up hope of his return. They also held a small funeral for Chaz which was attended by Kira, Chuckie, Stu and Didi, and Chuckie's grandparents.

Chuckie and Kira returned from their few weeks away just as he was getting ready to leave the hospital, stitches itching and bruises almost gone. And when Tommy saw his friend, his jaw literally dropped at the sight.

For a second, Tommy felt as though he were looking in to the past, or at least seeing the Chuckie that should have been. His hair had been cut and the dye in his hair was almost gone (it had never responded very well to any dye) and it was nearly back to its natural color. A pair of glasses sat on his nose. His face had rounded out, was no longer sunken in and gaunt, and he was clean and healthy and _s_miling.

Kira started having Chuckie attend counseling. (He had been diagnosed with depression and an anxiety disorder, and was given a prescription for both.) He'd also taken a GED test and planned to attend the same community college as Tommy, though he insisted on waiting a few months. All the other changes were already somewhat overwhelming for Chuckie. Occasionally he confided to Tommy that he was afraid of everything being a dream and that one day he was going to wake up next to his dad in some hotel room, life unchanged. Over the months, these fears seemed to lessen and so did the times when he was unusually coarse and disconnected from every one.

...

A year later, two best friends stood in a cemetery, exchanging stories and laughing quietly as fall made itself known in the bitter wind and the swirling leaves. After some time one of the young men turned to the other and asked, "Still afraid it's just a dream?"

The other stood in silent contemplation before responding simply, "No."

"Good. Let's go get some coffee. I know this nice, cheesy place down the road."

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Man… I'm just a sucker for happy endings… : ) Hope you all enjoyed.


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